A Special Day for Eberts
by Miss Fifer
Summary: Well, I can't tell you much because it will give it away. Eberts goes on a special mission that ends in surprise. ^_^


A Special Day for Eberts  
By: Miss Fifer  
Rated: G  
Spoilers: None  
  
I decided that Eberts needed a little spotlight ^_^.  
  
  
Just another day at the office. Me, doing the very hard job of trying my best to keep The Official happy and calm. And him, trying his best to keep Darien and Bobby in line. Which was also a very hard task. But it was a special day.  
  
Official: "Eberts is going with you."  
Bobby: "Oh yeah, that worked out well last time."  
  
The thrill of knowing I would be going on another mission came over me. But Also, the dread. Because I remembered the last time I worked out of the office.  
  
Me: "Sir, if you don't mind me asking--"  
Official: "I do."  
Me: "Sorry, sir."  
  
The Official handed Darien a card and an envelope. They exchanged looks and Darien put the card and envelope in his pocket. And then we were off.  
We piled into Hobbes' car. Or as I like to call it, the Hobbesmobile. Heh... excuse me. Of course, Hobbes was driving erratically.  
  
Me: "Bobby, could you please... drive... better?"  
Bobby: "Fawkes, check it out. He can't handle my driving."  
Darien: "Oh. He can't handle it, huh?"  
Bobby: "He cannot take The Hobbinator's driving."  
Darien: "Wait a sec, 'The Hobbinator'?  
Bobby: "C'mon, I was short on time, I couldn't think of anything witty."  
Me: "Oh dear."  
  
Their Two Stooges routine continued on for quite some time. Eventually we pulled into the back of an umarked building, smashed in between other identical buildings.  
  
Me: "Are we going in for some Grade-A reconnaissance?"  
Darien: "Um. No."  
  
We got out of the van. Darien found a door and knocked on it three times. The door cracked open. There was a man standing there, he was about mid-forties, and heavy-set with a broad nose and dark features.  
  
Man: "You here on... business?"  
Darien: "Yes."  
  
Darien handed the man the card The Offical had given him. By this time I started to wonder what was going on. The man read the card.  
  
Man: "What's your form of payment?"  
  
Darien then took out the envelope. He opened it and flashed the stack of bills that was inside. It looked very suspicious to me. The man took the envelope.  
  
Bobby: "Will that do?"  
Man: "It will do."  
  
The man went back inside. Bobby, Darien and I went back to the van.  
  
Me: "What exactly am I here for?"  
  
Darien and Bobby pretended not to hear me. Sometimes I feel like I'm the one that has a quicksilver gland and is invisible. I decided to let it slide. There had to be a reason they were ignoring me.  
We stopped in the park, next to a hot dog stand.  
  
Bobby: "Anyone hungry?"  
Darien: "Oooh. food. Coming, Eberts?"  
  
Ahh, I was not invisible after all.  
  
Me: "Yes, sure."  
  
We all bought hot dogs and sat at a table to eat them. My mind stared to wander again, to the fact that something seemed a little off. But I trust the Agency with my life, and I was sure that everything was ok. But you can't help but wonder.  
  
Bobby: "I love a good hot dog."  
Darien: "Oh yeah. The mustard and the relish..."  
Bobby: "I'm a chilli man myself."  
Darien: "Really?"  
Bobby: "Yeah. Spicy. Kinda like me."  
Darien: "You are one spicy hombre."  
Bobby: "You better believe it."  
Darien: "What about you, Eberts?"  
  
I was very surprised that anyone would be interested in anything personal about me. In the kind of work I do, a lot of times people remain faceless.  
  
Me: "Oh. Just ketchup and mustard and I'm fine."  
Darien: "That's cool."  
  
Bobby looked at his watch, as he had been doing ever since we sat down. We all finished our hot dogs.  
  
Bobby: "You think it's about time to..."  
Darien: "Yeah, probably."  
  
We all got in the van yet again, and drove back to the same, unmarked building as before. Hobbes parked and Darien opened his door.  
  
Darien: "I'll just go get this one, you guys sit tight."  
Me: "Oh, is he going to sneak in, invisible?"  
  
Oh, but I was the invisible one again. Bobby ignored me. Darien soon returned with a large, white box in his hands. This was very curious. But I kept my mouth shut, invisibility pending.  
Hobbes put the van into gear and we drove back to the Agency. We all got out, Darien carrying the box. We went into the front door and down the hall to the lab.  
  
Darien: "Why don't you go in first, Eberts?"  
Me: "Me? Why... ok."  
  
I stepped up to the door and opened it.  
The lab was decorated hastily with streamers and baloons. A big sign said "Happy Birthday" in cartooned letters. I spotted The Official and Claire.  
  
Official, Claire, Bobby, Darien: "SURPRISE!"  
Bobby: "Happy Birtday, E-man."  
  
Darien opened the box. Inside there was a beautifully decorated cake exclaiming "Happy Birthday, Eberts!" I was floored. All this for me? But I am Eberts, Man of the Shadows.  
  
Me: "How'd... why...?"  
Official: "Your birthdate is in your file. We decided to celebrate."  
Me: "Oh I just, don't know what to say."  
  
Claire went to a lab table that had a few nicely-wrapped gifts on them. She picked up one of them.  
  
Claire: "Say you'll open my gift first."  
  
Darien and Bobby ran to get theirs. Bobby won, because Darien had to find a spot for the cake.  
  
Bobby: "No mine."  
Darien: "Uh-uh. Mine."  
Claire: "And why is that?"  
Dairen: "I'm the Invisible Man."  
  
The Official produced a small, black box out of his coat pocket. He handed it to me.  
  
Official: "I'm The Official. I go first."  
  
I opened the box. Inside was a very sharp gold pocket watch. My knees buckled.  
  
Me: "Oh, I can't accept this--"  
Official: "You must."  
  
I was on the brink of tears. I absent-mindedly hugged The Official. I realized what I was doing and backed away.  
  
Me: "Sorry."  
Darien: "Ok, me next."  
  
I opened the rest of the presents. Darien got me a video game, Star Battle Odyssey 3001. I had be dying to get it. Hobbes got me a very nice Italian pen, and Claire got me a beautiful leather day-runner. We spent the rest of the evening eating cake and laughing at Bobby and Darien's antics. And me, feeling thankful that these people actually cared for me enough to plan a surpise party.  
But I had a surprise too. It wasn't my birthday. I lied on my entrance forms. I thought a later birthday would look better. But everyone was so happy, and they were so nice to go through all of the trouble that I didn't say a word. And don't you either, this is just between you and me.  
  



End file.
